NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Congo Martin
Riparia congica (Reichenow, 1888)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Congo martin or Congo sand martin (Riparia congica) is a small passerine bird in the swallow family.
It occurs only along the Congo River and its tributary, the Ubangi. It is fairly abundant within its restricted range.
The habitat requirement of this non-migratory species is forested rivers with sandbanks for breeding.
The Congo martin nests in colonies during February and March, with each pair excavating a tunnel in a sandbank about 1 m above the river. The nest itself is at the end of the tunnel. Little is known of the breeding biology, although it is probably similar to that of the sand martin.
Wikipedia contributors, Congo martin; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T02:20:46.675925+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Riparia congica (Reichenow, 1888)
- Name authority
- (Reichenow, 1888)
- Common name
- Congo Martin
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Hirundinidae
- Genus
- Riparia
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPasseriformes
- familyHirundinidae Rafinesque, 1815
- genusRiparia T. Forster, 1817
- speciesRiparia congica (Reichenow, 1888)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Riparia. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Grey-throated MartinRiparia chinensis (J. E. Gray, 1830) | HirundinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Madagascar MartinRiparia cowani (Sharpe, 1882) | HirundinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Pale MartinRiparia diluta (Sharpe & Wyatt, 1893) | HirundinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Brown-throated MartinRiparia paludicola (Vieillot, 1817) | HirundinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Sand MartinRiparia riparia (Linnaeus, 1758) | HirundinidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Cotile congica Reichenow, 1888 Reichenow, 1888 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=562789 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:4T4PH. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.